Punctual

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Punctual \Punc"tu*al\, a. [F. ponctuel (cf. Sp. puntual, It.
     puntuale), from L. punctum point. See {Point}.]
     1. Consisting in a point; limited to a point; unextended.
        [R.] "This punctual spot." --Milton.
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              The theory of the punctual existence of the soul. --
                                                    Krauth.
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     2. Observant of nice points; punctilious; precise.
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              Punctual to tediousness in all that he relates. --
                                                    Bp. Burnet.
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              So much on punctual niceties they stand. --C. Pitt.
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     3. Appearing or done at, or adhering exactly to, a regular or
        an appointed time; precise; prompt; as, a punctual man; a
        punctual payment. "The race of the undeviating and
        punctual sun." --Cowper.
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              These sharp strokes [of a pendulum], with their
              inexorably steady intersections, so agree with our
              successive thoughts that they seem like the punctual
              stops counting off our very souls into the past. --
                                                    J. Martineau.
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From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  punctual
       adj : acting or arriving or performed exactly at the time
             appointed; "she expected guests to be punctual at
             meals"; "he is not a particularly punctual person";
             "punctual payment" [ant: {unpunctual}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  74 Moby Thesaurus words for "punctual":
     accurate, active, alert, apt, attentive, careful, close, compliant,
     conforming, conscientious, conscionable, constant, correct,
     critical, decisive, delicate, demanding, detailed, devoted, devout,
     duteous, dutiful, exact, exacting, exigent, expeditious, exquisite,
     faithful, fastidious, fine, finical, finicking, finicky, fussy,
     heedful, immediate, instant, instantaneous, loyal, meticulous,
     mindful, minute, narrow, nice, observant, on the dot, on time,
     overconscientious, overscrupulous, painstaking, particular,
     practicing, precise, precisianistic, precisionistic, prompt,
     punctilious, quick, ready, refined, regardful, religious, rigid,
     rigorous, scrupulous, scrutinizing, speedy, strict, subtle,
     summary, swift, tender-conscienced, timely, true